The Chief Johnson Totem Pole

by Richard Jackson and Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

The Chief Johnson Totem Pole, first carved in 1902, recarved by Israel Shotridge in 1989, Ketchikan, Alaska, a Seeing America video. Gunalchéesh (thank you) to Richard Jackson, clan leader of the Taantʼa kwáan Teikwedí Tlingit, for permitting us to share his clanʼs story.

Additional resources

More about the Chief Johnson Pole from the Living New Deal

The story of the Chief Johnson Pole from the Ketchikan Story Project

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Seeing America

Theme: American and regional culture
Period: 1898–1945
Period: 1980–now
Topic: Native American culture, 1500–present

Art Histories

The Chief Johnson Totem Pole

Explore the diverse history of the United States through its art. Seeing America is funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.